Improvement in horse hay-rakes



J. H. THOMAS. Horse -Hay-Rakes.

No. 196,501. Patented Oct; 23,i 1877.

UNITED ASrrrl'rEs.w PATENT rrion (JOHN H. THOMAS, or srRINGrr-LD, 01-110.`

IMVPRovEMl-:NT IN HoRcs :HY-RAKs) I Specifieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,501, dated October 23, 1877; application filed August 7, V1875. i I w A To all ich/om it may concern: I

Be itknown lthat I, JOHN H, THOMAS, of

Springfield, county of Clarke, State of Ohio,f

h ve invented a new and useful Improvement in .Hay-Rakes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being lhad to theaccompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in whichw F1gurelrepresents a perspectiv'e view of a ,to which it is applied, detached. w

v7 My invention consists, first, in the com- .jbiningthe .foot-lever or treadle by means of which the rake-teeth'are heldodown to their work with the hand-level' by which the operationsof the rake are controlled, through the medium of adj usting disks or rose-plates,whereby the position or distance of the treadle from;

the driver7s seat can be varied to suit the attendant, as hereinafter described; land, second, in a novel arrangement of the 'connecting-rod between the pendent clearer head and the lever controlling the rake-teeth, whereby the clearer-head is held out of actual contact with the rake-teeth when the latter are raised, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the carrying-wheels, mounted and turning on short axles B B, which have their bearings in pendent boxes or brackets a a' secured to the rake-head O. The axles B are further secured in upright blocks or ears b, rigidly attached to the rear end of the draft-frame or thills D D, at points intermediate between the brackets a a', the connection between the parts being such as to allow the rake-head O to rock or rotate on the axle B B as a center. The thills D D, in front of the axle, are united by suitable transverse bars Dl D2, and these, in tin'n, are united by a longitudinal bar, D3, these parts together forming the draft-frame.

The forward transverse bar Dl has hinged to it the forward lower end of a seat-bar or standard, E, the rear upper end of which is conneoted by pendent pivoted rod or links E1 with forwardly-proj ecting lever-arms F rigidly connected with the rake-head, said arm being provided, at varying distances from the rakehead, with a number of perforations, which permit, the adjustment of the leverage on the rake-head to su'it the weight of the'operator in the seat E2, which is connected to the upper end of standard E.

The longitudinal bar D3 has an elbow-lever, G, pivoted to it, the forward upright -arm-of which extends up into convenient 'position' to be operated by the driver on the seat E2. The rear horizontal arm G1` of this lever is connected by a link, G2, with `an upright arm or lever, g, attached to the rake-head, the arrangement being' such that, as the lever G is moved backward, depressing arm G1, a forward rota- -tion or rocking movement is given to the rakehead, raising the rake-teeth, a reverse movem'ent of the lever being required forl depressi'ng the teeth to their'work. To the draft-frame or thills D D oblique standards H H are sef cured,.the rear upper ends of which, overhang- 'ng the rake-head, are 'provided with b'raekets or arms-h h, which project downward and to- Ward the rear of the machine, at about right angles to the oblique standards H. The brackets or arms h, at their lower ends, are provided with inwardly-'proj ecting spurs h', and at or near their upper ends have pendent rods M pivoted to them, to the lower swinging ends of which the clearer rod or head I is secured.

When the rake-teeth are operatin g to gather a load, the rods or links rest upon the spurs h, and support the clearer-head above and sufficiently removed from the rake-teeth to withdraw the elearer-teeth; but when the raketeeth are raised, the clearer-teeth enter between the rake-teeth and assist in the operation of dischc rging the load.

Thus far the rake, in its construction and arrangement of parts, is substantially the same as has been described in a former application, and, in addition to the foregoing, a foot-piece or treadle was applied to the hand-lever to enable the driver, with his foot, to overcoine the tendency of the weight of the driver in his seat to raise the rake-teeth, under the arrangement of parts described.

For the purpose of giving increased efficiency to this treadle or foot-piece, and for adapting it to the length of the operator's'legs, it is made adjustable. The means shown for this purpose consist of two rose-plates, L L' one of which, L, has a groove or socket matching the lever G, and the other a groove for the recep- `tion of, or made inl one piece With, the footpiece or treadle K. A through-bolt and nut at l secures the several parts firmly together, and by simply loosening the holt and turning the plate L' relatively to the plate L the treadle K may be set nearer to or farther from the seat, as required, Without changing the (listanoe of the point of attachment of the treadle from the fulerum of said lever.

For the purpose of reducing the size of the rose-plates or disks, that to which the treadle K is seeured may have a groove cut in its outer face, and the treadle may be secured to a perforated bar sliding in said groove, thus making the treadle adjustable back and forth on the disk, the through-bolt serving to hold it at any desired point of adj ustment.

The same result as above described may be attained by using the foot-piece just descrihed, made adjustable on its supporting-disk, Without the aid of the second disk, by providing said single disk, near its periphery,witl1 aerele of perforations, and by passing a bolt or pin through any desired one of said perforations, and through a hole in the lever for holding' the disk and treadle at the required adjustment. i

In. the former application referred to, the elearer rod or head was prevented from coming in contact With the rake-teeth, when the latter were raised, by a pivoted rod or link at M connecting' it With the pivoted seat-standard, the backward movement of which, in raising' the teeth, served to thrust the clearer-head 1 backward and upward, swinging' it upon its suspending-rods i i. This is accomplished, in the present instance, by eonnecting the elearerhead with the hand-level' G, by a rodor link, N, in such manner that7 as the baekward movement referred to is given to the lever for raising the rake-teeth, such movement is imparted to the olearer-head, swinging it backward and upward, and thereby keeping it out of frietional contact with the rake-teeth, and giving a baekward clearing-thrust to the clearer-teeth.

The extent of throw of the clearer-head Will be governed by the distance of the point of attaehment between the link N and lever G from the fulcrum-pivot of said lever, and may be varied, if desired, by providing the lever with a number of perforations, in any one of which the forward end of the rod N may be secured.

Parts of the rake not particularly described may be eonstrueted in any usual or preferred manner. i

Having' now descri'bed my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

1. The treadle or foot-piece K, united to the hand-level' G by means of the adjusting-disks or rose-plates and the through-bolt, arranged and Operating as and for the purpose descrbed.

2. The vibrating pendent clearer-head, connected with the pivoted seat-support by the link M, in combination With the rod or link N, conneoting it directly with the rake-controlling lever, as described.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set i i i i i i i my hand this 27th day of July, A. I). 1875. w

JOHN H. THOMAS. Witnesses: w

R. ll). THoMAs, WILL S. THOMAS. 

